Loop regulating mechanism for knitting machines



Feb. 12, 3.935. g sT lc 1,990,988

LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 1933 -8 Sheets-Sheet 1 If; E i

IN VEN TOR.

Feb. 12, 1935. GASTRICH 1,990,988

LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 1933 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR:

Feb. 12, 1935. G, GASTRICH 1,990,988

LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR: Gasiiw fa Zri0 A '1' TORNEY.

Feb. 12, 1935. G, GASTRlCH 1,990,988

LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 1933 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 a l 5 w INVEN TQR: GusWQ'msZrwh Feb. 12, 1935. e. GASTRICH 1,990,988

LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 193:5 s Shefs-Sheet 5 N g I l g n I K H 1 g an El mmm [I I 2% Q '4 Q N r fag IN V EN TOR:

Feb. 12, 1935. GASTRICH 1,990,988

LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR;

A TTORN Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Application August 5, 1933, Serial No. 683,726

19 Claims.

This invention relates to loop regulating mechanism for straight knitting machines, and more particularly to rocker mechanism for selectively lengthening loops in predetermined coursewise limited areas in articles of wearing apparel, such as full fashioned hosiery, during the knitting thereof.

It has long been known in the art that the forces acting about the turning points of the heel tabs in a full fashioned stocking tend to cause excessive yarn strain at such points, so that the yarn tends to break at these points and form openings in the stocking during the boarding operations. Also, when the stocking is stretched upon the leg of the wearer, the additional strain placed upon the stocking at the turning points, because of the constant flexing of the instep when walking, frequently causes yarn rupture and the formation of runners at these points.

One method of obviating the foregoing disadvantages is to neutralize, by the use of relatively long loops at the turning points, the opposing distorting forces, so that there is no strain present at the turning points of sufficient magnitude to cause excessive yarn strain or rupture, the long loops forming, in effect, elastic centers at the turning points, as disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 586,314, filed January 13, 1932. At various other points of meeting of a suture with the line of juncture of parts of different thickness of a full fashioned stocking, for example, at the intersection of the leg and welt" portions of a stocking and the rear seam thereof, the strain present may similarly be neutralized by the use of longer loops at such points. While the loops are made sufiiciently larger than the adjacent loops to give the desired strain neutralizing effect, the number of wales of such enlarged loops is preferably small at any point, for example, six to eight wales at the heel pocket turning points, in order that the area covered by the loops will not appear larger to the eye than the normal sections of the stocking nor large enough to cause distorted fabric at these points.

One of the objects of my invention, therefore, is to provide suitable loop regulating or rocker mechanism, auxiliary to the usual rocker mechanism employed for reinforcing and other purposes, for automatically increasing the length of loops in predetermined coursewise limited areas of a fabric.

Another object of the invention is to provide suitable rocker mechanism adapted to automatically vary, for example, to increase, the length of loops in coursewise extending areas comprising a few wales only of the fabric.

A further object is the provision of rocker mechanism of the character described which is adapted to increase or otherwise vary the length of the loops in relatively small coursewise extending areas intermediate, and spaced from, the selvage edges of the fabric.

Still another object resides in providing rocker mechanism having a cam or other actuating member coacting with a cam follower or rockerv member, in which rebound of, and shock to, the members due to contact therebetween are substantially minimized or prevented.

An aditional object is to provide, in a full fashioned stocking knitting machine, loop regulating mechanism which will automatically increase the length of the loops of the stocking at the point of meeting of a suture therein with the line of juncture of a reinforced and a nonreinforced area of the stocking, thereby to provide a strain neutralizing area composed of loops having a'length greater than that of the remaining loops of the stocking at said meeting point.

An important object of the invention is to provide loop regulating mechanism of the character aforesaid having the form of an attachment which may be used with standard types of straight knitting machines without entailing changes in the construction or manner of operation of the machines, and which is simple in construction and which may readily be applied to existing installations.

With these and other objects in View, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings, my invention resides in the novel elements of construction, mechanisms and combination of parts incooperative relationship, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial front view, in elevation, of a full fashioned knitting machine embodying loop regulating mechanism in accordance with one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial front view, in elevation, of the machine of Fig. 1, showing in detail certain parts of the loopregulating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of certain parts of Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the loop regulating mechanism; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line i of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing details of certain other parts of the loop regulating mechanism; I

Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the cam members of the loop regulating mechanism, operable at the intersection of the leg and welt portions of a stocking and the rear seam thereof;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are front and side detail views of other cam members and associated parts of the loop regulating mechanism, operable at the heel pocket turning points of a stocking;

Figs. 10 and 11 show the cam members of Figs. 7 to 9 in different operating positions in their cyclic movement;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line 12-12 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a rear perspective of a full fashioned stocking indicating by dot-and-dash outlined circles the areas within which theabove mentioned strains occur;

Fig. 14 is a partial plan view of the flat knitted blank of the stocking of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of the loop formation of the fabric produced with the loop lengthening device shown in Fig. 5;

16 is a diagrammatic view of the foot and ankle portions of a full fashioned stocking indicating by a dot-and-dash outlined circle an area within which certain of the above mentioned strains occur;

Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of my improved flat knit full fashioned stocking blank, before the turning of the heel tabs and before the knitting of the foot to the blank; and

Fig. 18 is an enlarged view of the area surrounding one of the turning points of the heel tabs.

Figs. 1 to 5 disclose various parts of a Reading full fashioned stocking machine embodying the mechanism and elements of my invention. For clearness only those partsv of the various mechanisms necessary for an understanding of the invention are illustrated; the other parts, and

the operation thereof, being well known in the art, as shown and described in the Reading Full Fashioned Knitting Machine Catalogue, copyright 1929, and published by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the machine, as shown, comprises a frame of conventional construction including front and back beams 10 and 12, front and center beds 13 and 14, and end and center frames 15 and 16. The power mechanism includes the main cam shaft 17 associated with the usual cam shaft shifting device A for manipulation by the usual chain motion associated there with. The main shaft carries the usual camsfor the various motions and attachments, certain of which cams have been omitted from Fig. 1 for clarity. The cams shown include the narrowing head actuating cam 18, shogging cams 19 and 20, loose course cam 22, presser cam 23, auxiliary rocking cams 24 and 25, regulating cam 26, needle cam 27 and the narrowing lift cam 28. The cam shaft is driven by a prime mover, such as an electric motor, through a suitable clutch connection in the usual manner. The cam shaft 17 is shifted to the right for narrowing or other purposes, by a mechanism A, in a manner well known in the art. When the cam shaft is in its shifted position, the narrowing machine is moved upwardly and downwardly by the narrowing lift levers 29, which receive their movement from the earns 28 through the intermediate roller 30, substantially as shown. Coincident with this vertical movement of the narrowing mechanism, transverse movement is transmitted to the lace bars through suitable mechanism (not shown) or to the narrowing fingers and combs 32 through a narrowing head B.

The narrowing heads B, at opposite ends of the machine, are of the usual construction, each comprising a ratchet device 33 actuated by a lever 34 carrying a roller 35 which, when the cam shaft is shifted to the right in the manner above described, engages thenarrowing head actuating cam 18. The ratchet device 33 is operatively associated with the usual ratchets mounted on the narrowing rod and carrier rod spindles 36 and 37, respectively. The narrowing heads cooperate in a usual manner to control the position of narrowing rods 38, Figs. 2 and 5, and the narrowing fingers or combs 32 carried thereby, and also to control the traversev of the yarn carrier rods in a well known manner. That is, the spindle 360! the narrowing rods and their associated devices intermittently rack the narrowing fingers in each knitting section inwardly during the narrowing operations in the production of plain knit fabric, and the yarn carrier spindles 37 control the position of the various end stops 42 to progressively decrease the-traverse of the yarn carrier rods which carry the yarn carriers 40.

The needles 43, Figs. 2, 4 and 5, of each knitting section are supported in the needle bar 44, Fig. 4, which is given the necessary vertical and horizontal movements by the needle bar actuating levers 45 and 46 controlled by needle lever and presser lever cams on the main cam shaft in a well lmown manner. The sinker and divider mechanism is of the usual construction comprising sinkers 47 and dividers 48 mounted in a sinker head 49, these elements cooperating in a usual manner to effect the desired loop formations.

Control of the horizontal position of the needle bar, during the couliering action, determines the amount of yarn to be sunk, or kinked, between the needles, and thus, governs the length of the finished loops. Varying yarn sizes, the number of courses per inch of length required, and other variable factors, make it necessary that some means be provided for accomplishing the required end. Thus, the machine is provided with regulating motion mechanism C, Figs. 1 and 2,

the function of which is to vary the length of the and claimed in the patent to Melchior Zwicky,

No. 1,417,289, issued may 23, 1922.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the regulating motion C comprises a regulating arm 50, adjusting arm 52, regulating throttle 53, and regulating cam 26, collectively assembled and mounted on the regulating shaft 55, with the exception of cam 26, which is rigidly attached to the cam shaft. The regulating arm 50 is allowed to turn freely on the regulating shaft, and has no spring to force it into contact with the cam. The adjusting arm 52 is rigidly fastened to the shaft 55 and has a spring attached which keeps it in contact with an arm 50 and consequently holds the cam roller in contact with the cam. The

This movement will, through a series of levers 57 and 46, force the needles closer to the presser edge of the sinker head, allowing the sinkers and dividers to advance farther relative to the position of the needles and thus effect a formation of longer loops. To knit shorter loops, the adjusting throttle is moved counterclockwise. Through the use of a graduated dial, the operator is able to set the adjusting throttle in the correct position instantly when knitting the various parts of the stocking. The screw 58 provides micrometer adjustment for said device.

To provide means for knitting a row of loops, which are slightly longer than the regular loops, the loose course motion D is provided This row of long loops facilitates the insertion of the welt bar, the turning of the welt and the looping operation when the heel tabs are looped together. It is also employed, when making mesh fabrics, to allow enough yarn to be drawn so that multiple dips can be made in the same course.

The device is identical, in its principle of operation, to that of the regulating motion C, namely, that of changing the distance between the needles and the presser edge. It acts on the regulating shaft 55, and, when in action, the regulating motion is automatically rendered inoperative because of the increased forward movement imparted to the shaft 55 by the larger loose course cam.

Figs. 1, 2, 3 and show the mechanism used for this purpose. The loop length is varied by changing the position of the roller stud 59. When making a loose course for the purpose of inserting the welt bar, the roller 60'is placed in contact with the loose course cam 22 by moving the hand lever 62 to the right; but, when knitting the looping course or lace forming course, the roller is automatically shifted into operative alignment with cam 22 by the lever 63 connected to the lever 62 through the intermediate rod 64. Loose course buttons spaced on the pattern chain 39 eifect automatic operation of the loose course motion D.

It is essential that additional rocking motion be imparted to the regulating shaft, during the formation of reinforced or plated areas, to produce loops of sufficient length to accommodate the extra yarn, for which purpose the usual rocker motion E is employed. This motion, Figs. 1, 2 and 4, may comprise any of the various known mechanisms suitable for the purpose, for example, as disclosed and claimed in the Zwicky Patent No. 1,608,285, issued Nov. 23, 1926, or as disclosed in a supplement to the Reading catalogue, published in November, 1930. In the form shown in the drawings, the mechanism gives the necessary oscillating motion to the regulating shaft 55 by the action of a cam piece 65 which, when coming between the rocker cradle 66 and the movable slides 67, rocks the cradle 66 and, in turn, repositions the needles to effect the desired length of loops, through means of the intermediate link 68. The link 68 coacts with the regulating motion C, in the usual manner, thereby rendering the regulating cam 26 inoperative during the engagement of the cam pieee 65 with each of the slides 6'7. Since the cam piece 65 is operated, directly from the coulier motion, the rocking motion is always in synchronism with the carrier travel, so that absolute accuracy as to the duration of rocking is assured.

Although, as stated above, loop regulating means are customarily employed to impart additional rocking motion to the regulating shaft to produce the necessary increase in the length of loops during the fabrication of the reinforced portions, as compared to the single thread areas, such additional rocking motion can only be incorporated over an appreciable width of fabric, no

loop regulating means having heretofore been 5 available forproducing loops of increased length, over and above the usual length included in the reinforced areas, at any desired point or points in a stocking or other fabric thereby to provide a coursewise limited area or areas of such loops for any desired purpose, and particularly, for producing such loops over a relatively small number of wales-at such points where abnormal tension is created, as for instance, at the jointure of the instep with the heel tabs and the meeting point of the seam with the leg and welt portions, said sections being indicated by the dot-and-dash circles of Fig. 13.

Figs. 1, 2 and 5 show auxiliary loop regulating devices F and G, respectively, operable at the heel pocket turning points, and at the intersection of the leg and welt portions and rear seam, of a stocking. As shown in the figures, the aux-' iliary rockers F and G may be selectively operated by an actuating rod 85 common to both devices, the operative position of the rod being controlled by buttons 87, 87a of different heights on the pattern chain 39, in a manner hereinafter described, although the devices F and G may be operated by separate actuating means, and that the front rail 10 and is prevented from rotative action by means of the guide lever 74 positioned thereon which has its forked end in engagement with the regulating shaft 55, whereas in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 the loose course mechanism D and the auxiliary rocker devices F and G are separately controlled.

In the mechanism of Fig. 3, the lever '15, secured to the rod 72, is sufliciently removed from the lever 62 so that only a high button on the pattern chain (not shown in Fig. 3) will move lever 75 to the left sufiiciently to coact with lever 62 and place the cam follower 60 into alignment with its respective cam 22. In the rocker device F, however, the spring 76 maintains the plunger 7'7 in the position shown relative to the lever '78.

This lever 78 is pivoted, by a pin 78a, to rocker 69, and spring 76 is able to overcome the action of thespring 80 so that, when a low button on the pattern chain moves rod 72 and consequently,

moves lever 79 to the left, spring '76 will maintain the plunger 7'7 in the same spaced relation to the lever '79 and will, in turn, move lever 78 against the action of spring 80 and align the roller 82 with the inside splicing cam 24 of the auxiliary device F, at which position the set screw 83 coacts with the stop piece 84 to prevent further clockwise movement of lever 78.

When a high button on the pattern chain imparts an extended movement to the rod 72, to

the left, to operatively align roller 60 with cam 22, although the lever 79 is likewise moved to the left, the plunger 77 is maintained against further action by the engagement of set screw 83 with stop 84; thus this additional movement of the lever 79 serves only to compress the spring 76 without affecting the position of the cam follower 82. Further, since both rockers 54 and 69 are rigidly secured to the common regulating shaft 55, and since the loose course cam 22 imparts appreciably greater rocking motion to the shaft 55 than does the inside splicing cam 24, although the cam followers of both cams will be aligned with their respective cams, when a high button on the pattern chain is operatively posicontrolling the operation of the loose course and inside rocker mechanisms F and G. In this arrangement, the movement of the loose course lever 62 is controlled by the movement of rod 64 connected with the lever 63 which is operated by one row of buttons on pattern chain 39; whereas the inside splicing levers 78 and 81 are selectively operated through the rod 85 linked with the lever 86 which, in turn, is operated by a separate row of low and high buttons 87, 87a on the pattern chain.

In order to provide for the selective movements of the auxiliary rocker motion which will progressively lengthen, knit uniformly and, in turn, progressively decrease the length of loops in order to effect loop formations corresponding with Figs. 15, 17 and 18 which are preferably incorporated in those portions of full fashioned hosiery, indicated within the circles of Fig. 13, there are provided cam assemblies, of the type illustrated in Figs. 6 to 12, which cooperate with .the auxiliary rocker in the manner shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

Referring to Figs. 7 to 9, which show cam structure for lengthening the loops at the heel pocket turning points, the assembly comprises a base member or flange 88 secured to the usual cam shaft 17 by means of the set screws 89. The cam pieces or wing members 90 and 92, operatively positioned on base 88 in the manner shown, are held in yielding engagement with their respective positioning studs 93 and 94 through the action of the coil springs 95 and 96, respectively, which, in turn, are stretched between the supporting posts 97 and 98, the former of which are anchored to the flange 88, whereas the posts 98 are mounted on the wing cams 90 and 92, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. The-slotted portions 99 and 100 of the flange 88 provide means for adjustably positioning the studs 93 and 94 to thereby regulate the period between operative actions of the cams 90 and 92. The stud 94 is held in position by means of the clamping action exercised on the flange 88 by its shoulder 94a and nut 103 see Fig. 12 while the stud 93 is similarly maintained. The annular groove 104, in addition to seating the shoulder 94a sufficiently beneath the adjacent surface of the wing cams to effect a working clearancetherefor, coacts with the periphery of the-flange 88, and the intermediate surface 88a, to provide a raceway in which the wing cams 90 and 92 may arcuately oscillate while maintained radially immovable. This oscillatory travel, in turn, is determined by the length of their respectiveyslots 105 and 106 which coact with studs 93 and 94, see Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12. The cap screws 107 and 108 cooperate with the tapped holes 109 and 110, of studs 93 and 94, to maintain the wing cams 90 and 92 in sliding contact with the flange 88, so that the springs 95 and 96 can readily draw the wing cams into their normal inoperative positions, following their operative actions. The recesses 90d and 92d,provide operating clearance for the studs 93 and 94.

Operation To effect the loop structure of Figs. 1'7 and 18, the leg portion is knit in the usual manner until course H is reached. In this course, as in the preceding courses (not shown), the loops of the spliced areas, due to the operative action of the regulating motion C, are longer than those of the intermediate single yarn fabric in order to permit the use of a plurality of threads on the needles, without appreciably increasing the tension on the needles. However, with the loops of course H held by the needles preparatory to the couliering of the next row of loops, the auxiliary rocker motion is automatically set into operation coincident with the positioning of the first of the double buttons 87 beneath the lever 86. This action causes lever '78 to be moved clockwise sumciently to align the cam follower 82 with the cam pieces 90 and 92, which, in turn, are so positioned, on the periphery of the flange 88, as to operate when the loops, in the area comprising the jointure of the instep with the reinforced areas, are being couliered. Thus, with the flange 88 rotating in the direction indicated, although the cam piece 90 engages the follower 82, when the right end of slot 105 (see Fig. 9) is held in yielding engagement with the stud 93 by the spring 95, member 88 meanwhile continues its rotation, whereas the movement of the cam piece 90 is delayed until the stud 93 engages the left end of the slot 105, as in Fig. 10, and again forces the cam piece 90 to move therewith. Thus, during further rotative action of the cam shaft, 17, the coaction of the wing cam 90 with the cam follower 82 moves the inside splicing rocker 69 from the flange 88, which action rocks the regulating shaft 55 over and above the movement imparted thereto by the usual splicing mechanism, and thus, moves the needles 43, by means of the intermediate mechanism shown in Fig. 4, alternately towards and from the presser edge to effect the lengthened loops of Figs. 17 and 18. During the travel of the cam follower 82 up the incline 90a, the loops of course I are progressively lengthened, from the normal length of reinforced loops to the length of the loops in group a, which are of uniform length, being so produced while the surface 90b controls the position of the cam follower 82. As the follower 82 disengages the surface 90b, and begins its travel down the surface 900, the direction of the pressure exerted by the follower 82 on the cam piece 90 is'changed sufficiently to permit the spring 95 to quickly retract the cam piece 90 to its normal position, and consequently, to break the contact between it and the cam follower 82. During the latter action, the loop lengths are gradually reduced to effect the structure of group b, after which, the usual regulating motion C again becomes effective during the production of the main instep portion 0.

The usual operation of the machine is continued, during the formation of the instep 0, until group b is reached, whence the flange 88 reaches the position shown in Fig. 11, whereupon the wing cam 92 duplicates the previous action of the cam piece 90 to progressively lengthen the loops, and to effect the structure shown in b, as the cam follower 82 ascends the incline 92a. Loops of uniform lengths, see a, are couliered, while the follower 82 is in engagement with the high portion 92b. The loops are gradually shortened as the spring 96 quickly draws the wing cam 92 from contact with the cam follower 82 simultaneously with the downward travel of the follower 82 from the high portion 92b. The usual splicing or plating rocker motion, again taking effect, rocks the needles to produce the reinforced fabric from a to the selvedge of the stocking. After this, the usual downward movement of the needles 43 interlaces the loops of the course I with those of the course H to effect the texture shown.

During the following revolution of the cam shaft 17, to form the course J, the above described actions of the wing cams 90 and 92 are reversed, the cam 90 coacting with the follower 82 to rock the regulating shaft 55, through means of the rocker arm 69, to progressively lengthen the loops from the usual reinforced loop length to the lengths shown in a. Loops of equal length,

in turn, are couliered in group a, while the foling motion again operates to effect the desired length of loops from group a to the selvedge. The interlacing of the loops of course J, with those of course I, is, in turn, effected in the usual manner, after which the needles 43 are raised to their normal position preparatory to the couliering of the loops of course K. Course K is produced in the manner of producing course I, while the course L requires that the mechanisms operate in the order as when forming the course J.

To substantially relieve the strains, which are ordinarily created at the turning points X, at the juncture of the instep Z with the heel tabs Y, Y and the sole U, the inside splicing rocker is operated over four successive courses, H, J, K and L, by two double buttons 87 on the pattern chain 39, these buttons extending over four links of the chain, as shown in Fig. 5, and each wing cam effecting the loop formation in approximately eight wales. Further, in addition to increasing the elasticity of the fabric within the circle of Figs. 16 and 18, said construction also appreciably facilitates the topping on operation, because of the lengthened loops of b and b', which provide a gradually tapered connection between the main instep portion Z and the reinforced heel tabs Y, Y, consequently, providing larger loops at those sections where the loops are later tightened asthe heel tabs Y, Y are turned to permit respective loops of wales W, W to be topped on to the same row of transfer points adjacent to the loops of the course L of the instep portion Z. If the loops at the juncture of the instep Z with I the heel tabs Y, Y are not lengthened over the usual loop lengths, the loops at this point will be drawn sufliciently tight to hinder the looping thereof on to the topping bars which consequently, tends to effect imperfections in the fabric. However, as shown in Figs. 17 and 18, this objectionable feature is eliminated by lengthening the loops through the medium of the auxiliary inside splicing rocker mechanism heretofore described.

In order to provide means for relieving fabric strains at, and adjacent to, the point M, caused by the jointure of the double walled welt N, the nonreinforced leg portion and the seam P, Figs. 13 and 14, I provide a second auxiliary device G comprising a rocker 70, Fig. 5, which is operated by the cam mechanism shown in Fig. 6 to effect the loop structure shown in Fig. 15, in which the loops in courses Q, R, S and T extending over Wales e and e, on either side of the rear seam P, are lengthened to provide an elastic center at this point. The cam and rocker assembly is substantially a duplication of the structure 69 heretofore described, the position or timing of the cam pieces 90 and 92' being the only change required to effect the lengthened loop structure at different points during the rotation of the cam shaft 17. In this case, a single lever shifting rod 85 operates both rockers 69 and 70, each rocker having a different height button on chain 39 to control its respective operative movements. Thus, a low button moves lever '78 sufliclently to align roller 82 with its cam 24, whereas a high button will move the roller 82 past the cam 24, while however moving the roller 82a into alignment with the cam 25, thereby placing the rocker '70 into operation to effect lengthened stitches adjacent to the selvedge, see Fig. 15. Since the operation of the latter mechanism is similar to the operationof the rocker F heretofore described, a detailed explanation of the construction and operation thereof is not given.

-Although I have illustrated my invention in connection with the effecting of different length loops in but two areas of full fashioned hosiery, it will readily be understood that the auxiliary loop regulating mechanism of the invention is adapted for use in any portion of a fabric where coursewise limited areas of lengthened loops may be desired.

By reason of the fact that cam pieces 90 and 92 are held in biased advance position through action of the springs 95 and 96, said cam pieces, although engaging the coacting cam followers 82 or 82a, as the case may be, do not effect rocking motion, when the cam pieces are moved against the action of said springs, until stopped by the respective stud members 98 and 94, at which time, the cam pieces operate the associated rocker lever connected to the regulating shaft 55 in the desired manner, increasing the rocking motion as the cam follower ascends the inclines 90a. and 92a, and effecting even rocker action of the desired extent, while the said cam follower engages the high portions 90b and 92b thereof. As the cam follower begins its travel down the inclines 90c and 92c, the springs again become effective to substantially instantaneously draw the cam pieces from engagement with the cam follower, thereby permitting the usual rocker motion instantly to become effective. By means of this structure, shock and rebound of the cam follower and cam pieces are avoided, and the structure permits the effecting of auxiliary rocker motion in restricted coursewise areas of a few wales only of the fabric.

In the illustrative embodiment disclosed, the invention is shown as applied to a legger machine,

but it will be understood that it may also be employed with a footer machine, or with single unit machines, or with straight knitting machines of various other types in which, for any reason, it is desirable or necessary to insert additional rocker movement in coursewise limited areas of the fabric, and the novel cam structure disclosed may be employed in knitting machines and. the like to coact with a cam follower or equivalent means for actuating structure for any purpose. For brevity in the specification and claims, the terms reinforcing and reinforced are employed in a generic sense to define that part, or parts, of a fabric comprising reinforcing, plating, splicing, or similar construction in which the loops thereof are composed of a plurality of yarns.

Of course, the improvements specifically shown and described, by which the above results are obtained, may be changed or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention herein described and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a straight knitting machine, loop regulating mechanism comprising a needle bar, a loop regulating shaft operatively connected to the needle bar, a cam shaft, loop regulating cam structure engageable with means carried by said regulating shaft to increase the length of loops in reinforced areas of the fabric, and an additional loop regulating device carried by and rotating with said cam shaft, said device carrying a cam piece rotatable relative to the device and intermittently engageable with means carried by said regulating shaft for further increasing the length of loops in a predetermined coursewise limited area of the fabric.

2. In a straight knitting machine, the combination of a cam shaft, a needle bar, loop regulating mechanism including a loop regulating shaft operatively connected to said needle bar, and a cam piece movable in correspondence with rotational movement of said cam shaft adapted intermittently to engage a member operatively connected to said regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft, said cam piece being mounted so as to provide a limited movement thereof relative to the cam shaft and actuated from a first position relative to said cam shaft to a second position relative thereto by its engagement with said member connected to the regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft in said second position.

3. In a straight knitting machine, the combination of a cam shaft, a needle bar, loop regulating mechanism including a loop regulating shaft operatively connected to said needle bar, and a cam piece carried by and rotatable with said cam shaft adapted intermittently to engage a member operatively connected to said regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft, said cam piece being rotatably mounted to provide a limited movement thereof relative to the cam shaft and rotated from 'a first position relative to said cam shaft to a second position relative thereto by its engagement with said member connected to the regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft in said second position. v

4. In a straight knitting machine, the combination of a cam shaft, a needle bar, loop regulating mechanism including a loop regulating shaft operatively connected to said needle bar, and a cam piece carried by and rotatable with said cam shaft adapted intermittently to engage a member operatively connected to said regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft, said cam piece being movably mounted to provide a limited movement thereof relative tuated from said first position to a second position relative thereto by its engagement with said member connected to the regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft in said second position.

5. In a straight knitting machine, the combination of a cam shaft, a needle bar, loop regulating mechanism including a loop regulating shaft opertaively connected to said needle bar, and a cam piece carried by and rotatable with said cam shaft adapted intermittently to engage a member operatively connected to said regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft, said cam piece being rotatably mounted to provide a limited rotational movement thereof relative to the cam shaft, means for biasing the cam piece in a leading position relative to the cam shaft, the cam piece having a contour such that it is rotated from said leading position to a second position relative thereto by its engagement with said member connected to the regulating shaft and adapted.- in said second position to actuate the loop regulating shaft to a position to increase the length of the loops in a predetermined number of wales of D the fabric.

6.,In a straight knitting machine, the combination of a cam shaft, a needle bar, loop regulating mechanism operatively connected to said needle bar, structure including a cam piece moving in correspondence with rotational movement of said camshaft and intermittently engaging a contact member operatively connected to said regulating mechanism to vary the loop regulating position thereof, said cam piece being mountnamed position actuates the regulating mechanism to a different position to vary the length of the loops in a predetermined number of wales of the fabric, said spring causing quick release of the cam piece from said last named position after a high point of the cam piece has passed the'said coacting surface of the contact member.

7. In a straight knitting machine, the combination of a cam shaft, a needle bar, loop regulating mechanism including a loop regulating shaft operatively connected to said needle bar, and a cam piece carried by and rotatable with said cam shaft adapted intermittently to engage a member operatively connected to said regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft, said cam piece being rotatably mounted to provide an oscillatory movement thereof between two limits of travel relative to the cam shaft, a spring for biasing the cam piece in its forward limit of travel, the cam piece having a contour such that it is rotated against the action of said spring to its rearward limit of travel by engagement of the cam piece with a coacting surface of said member connected to the regulatates the regulating mechanism to a position to increase the length of the loops in a predetermined number of wales of the fabric, said spring causing quick release of the cam piece from said last named position after the high point of the cam piece has passed the said coacting surface of the contact member.

8. In a full fashioned stocking knitting machine, loop regulating mechanism comprising a needle bar, a loop regulating shaft operatively connected to the needle bar for determining the normal length of loops in non-reinforced areas of the stocking blank, loop regulating cam structure engageable with means connected to said regulating shaft to increase the length of loops in reinforced areas of the stocking blank, additional loop regulating mechanism including cam structure intermittently engageable with means connected to the regulating shaft for further increasing the length of the loops in a coursewise limited area comprising a predetermined number of wales of the stocking at the turning points of the heel tabs, and pattern controlled mechanism for auomatically actuating said additional loop regulating mechanism in one or more preselected courses at the juncture of the leg and foot portions of the stocking while the yarn is being laid for said courses.

9. In a full fashioned stocking knitting machine, loop regulating mechanism comprising a needle bar, a loop regulating shaft operatively connected to the needlebar for determining the normal length of loops in non-reinforced areas of the stocking blank, loop regulating cam structure engageable with means connected to said regulating shaft to increase the length of loops in reinforced areas of the stocking blank, additional loop regulating mechanism including cam structure intermittently engageable with means connected to the regulating shaft for further increasing the length of the loops in coursewise limited areas comprising a predetermined number of wales of the stocking at the turning points of the heel tabs, and means including pattern controlled mechanism for causing said loop regulating cam structures successively to operate in the order named at one of said turning points of the heel tabs and to operate in inverse order at the other turning point in one or more preselected courses at the juncture of the leg and foot portions of the stocking while the yarn is being laid for said course or courses.

10. In a full fashioned stocking knitting machine, ioop regulating mechanism comprising a needle bar, a'loop regulating shaft operatively connected to the needle bar for determining the normal length of loops in non-reinforced areas of the stocking blank, loop regulating cam structure engageable with means connected to said regulating shaft to increase the length of loops in reinforced areas of the stocking blank additional loop regulating mechanism including cam structure intermittently engageable with means connected to the regulating shaft for further increasing the length of the loops in a coursewise limited area comprising a predetermined number of .wales of the fabric at the point of meeting of the welt and leg portions of the stocking and the rear seam thereof, and pattern controlled mechanism for automatically actuating said additional loop regulating mechanism in one or more preselectedcourses at the juncture of said welt and leg portions while the yarn is being laid for said courses.

11. In a knitting machine or the like, the combination of cam actuating mechanism, a cam device comprising a base member moving in correspondence with said actuating mechanism, a cam piece carried by said base member and oscillatable between a leading position and a second position relative to the base member, a cam follower intermittently engageable by the cam piece during movement of the base member, means for biasing the cam piece in said leading position, the cam piece being movable against the action of said biasing means to said second position by its engagement with the cam follower during said movement of the base member and actuating the cam follower to a desired operative position, said biasing means causing quick release of the cam piece from said second position after a high point of the cam piece has passed the coacting surface of the cam follower.

12. In a knitting machine or the like, the combination of cam actuating mechanism, a cam device comprising a base member moving in correspondence with said actuating mechanism, a cam piece carried by said base memberand oscillatable relative thereto, said base member and cam piece having complementary curved tongue and groove surfaces to provide for free oscillatory arcuate movement of the cam piece between two positions relative to the base member while preventing other relative movement therebetween, and a cam follower intermittently engageable by the cam piece during movement of the base member, the cam piece being rotatable from one of said positions to the other position by its engagement with the camfollower during said movement of the base member and actuating the cam follower to a desired operative position.

13. In a knitting machine or the like, the combination of cam actuating mechanism, a cam device comprising a base member moving in correspondence with said actuating mechanism, a cam piece carried by said base member and oscillatable relative thereto, said base member and cam piece having complementary curved tongue and groove surfaces to provide for free' oscillatory arcuate movementof the cam piece between two positions relative to the base member while preventing other relative movement therebetween, one of said members having a slot therein and the other member carrying a stud movable in said slot to determine the limits of said oscillatory movement of the cam piece, and a cam follower intermittently engageable by the cam piece during movement of the base member, the cam piece being rotatable from one of said positions to the other position by its engagement with the cam follower during said movement of the base member and actuating the cam follower to a desired operative position,

14; In a knitting machine or the like, the combination of cam actuating mechanism, a cam device comprising a base member moving in correspondence with said actuating mechanism, a cam piece carried by said base member and oscillatable relative thereto, said base member and cam piece having complementary curved tongue and groove surfaces to provide for free oscillatory arcuate movement of the cam piece between two positions relative to the base member while preventing other relative movement therebetween, one of said members having a slot therein and the other member carrying a stud movable in said slot to determine the limits of said oscillatory movement of the cam piece, said stud being adjustably mounted in a slot in said other of the members thereby to enable variation at will of the extent of said oscillatory movement of the cam piece, and a cam follower intermittently engageable by the cam piece during movement of the base member, the cam piece being rotatable from one of said positions to the other position by its engagement with the cam follower during said movement of the base member and actuating the cam follower to a desired operative position.

15. In a straight knitting machine, loop regulating mechanism comprising a needle bar, a loop regulating shaft operatively connected to the needle bar for determining the normal length of loops in non-reinforced areas of the fabric being knitted, loop regulating cam structure engageable with means connected to said regulating shaft to increase the length of loops in reinforced areas of the fabric, additional loop regulating mechanism including cam structure intermittently engageable with means connected to the regulating shaft for further increasing the length of the loops in a coursewise limited area comprising a predetermined number of wales of the fabric, and pattern controlled mechanism for automatically actuating said additional loop regulating mechanism in one or more preseletced courses of the fabric while the yarn is being laid for said courses.

16. In a straight knitting machine, the combination of a cam shaft, a needle bar, loop regu-'- lating mechanism including a loop regulating shaft operatively connected to said needle bar, and a device carrying a cam piece movable in synchronism with rotational movement of said cam shaft and adapted intermittently to engage a member operatively connected to said regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft, said 'cam piece being mounted so as to provide a limited movement thereof relative to said device and actuated from a first position relative to the device to a second position relative thereto by its engagement with said member connected to the regulating shaft to vary the loop regulating position of the shaft in said second position.

17. In a straight knitting machine, loop regulating mechanism comprising a needle bar, a loop regulating member operatively connected to the needle bar for determining the normal length of loops in non-reinforced areas of the fabric being knitted, loop regulating cam structure engageable with means connected to said regulating member to increase the length of loops in reinforced areas of the fabric, additional loop regulating mechanism including cam structure intermittently engageable with means connected to the regulating member for further increasing the length of the loops in a coursewise limited area comprising a predetermined number of wales of the fabric, and pattern controlled mechanism for automatically actuating said additional loop regulating mechanism in one or more preselected courses of the fabric while the yarn is being laid for said courses.

18. In a straight knitting machine, loop regulating mechanism comprising a needle bar, a loop regulating member operatively connected to the needle bar for determining the normal length of loops in non-reinforced areas of the fabric being knitted, loop regulating cam structure engageable with means connected to said regulating member to increase the length of loops in reinforced areas of the fabric, additional loop regulating mechanism including cam structure intermittently engageable with means connected to the regulating member for further modifying the length of the loops in a coursewise limited area comprising a predetermined number of wales of the fabric, and pattern controlled mechanism for automatically actuating said additional loop regulating mechanism in one or more preselected courses of the fabric while the yarn is being laid for said courses.

19. In a straight knitting machine, the combi nation of a cam shaft, a needle bar, loop regulating mechanism operatively connected to said needle bar, and a cam member movable in synchronism withrotational movement of said cam shaft and adapted intermittently to engage a regulating member operatively connected to the regulating mechanism to vary the loop regulating position thereof, supporting means respectively for said cam and regulating members, one of the said cam and regulating members being so mounted as to provide a limited movement thereof relative to its supportingmeans and normally' biased to a leading position relative to the other of said members, said one of the members being actuated from its leading position to a second position by its engagement with the other member to vary the loop regulating position of said mechanism in said second position of the member. i

' GUSTAV GASTRICH. 

